Show I i Daily D any l Short Oil 0 I Fiction 1 Story A Fight for Happiness By SUSAN E E. E Copyright 1916 by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate Tom Marshall knocked the ashes from his pipe and dropped It in into o in o his pocket before answering the question of ot his friend then he said deliberately I had nothing to offer otter Jack Naturally Naturally Nat Nat- under those hose those circumstances ances I 1 Idid Idid did not ask her What fools you conscientious men make mace of 01 yourselves the tho other said irritably Did It never occur to you that you owed her something after atter such a summer Why man alive you were always together If It you were not riding you were rowing or walking walking walk walk- ing or sitting on the beach If It she had lead been like the Test rest of the crowd It would have made mado no difference but there are girls and girls and Sarah Norris is one ono by liy herself There was a note in his voice that made Marshall look at him with thoughtful eyes f Y You ou too Jack Wry Vry not refused me long ago I took It pretty hard at the time Then Kate came into my life lite She Sho knows and doesn't mind and Sarah and andI I 1 are the best of friends Because I know her so well know how abhorrent abhorrent abhorrent abhor abhor- rent to her is this dallying over the most sacred thing that can come Into the tho lives of men and women I am disgusted disgusted disgusted dis dis- gusted at the stand you have taken Her Her money should make no difference difference difference differ differ- ence but it would seem you put it and your pride before her happiness and your you youit own Her happiness I r never thought she cared What an ass you are Did you expect ex expect expect ex- ex her to proclaim her feelings for forvour your benefit No I 1 never thought she cared he here re repeated t slowly Ills His l friend Ie d looked ked at him l n ex sper- sper atlon How old are you Tom One would think you had spent your life inthe In Inthe inthe the backwoods and knew w nothing of women the I know very little You forget life Ife of an engineer Js is not spent in drawing rooms Last summer was my I first vacation since I 1 left college It was also the first time in years I 1 had talked with a woman of 01 refinement Building bridges and railroads ads through unopened country does not bring one In touch with dainty womanliness But I had seen her She came to Alaska with quite a large party when we were working on the Copper River R Northwestern North North- Northwestern western railway A very gay i Jarly party arty I from all I heard I saw her several times but bit did net not meet her I never forgot forgo her When we met in Maine I thou thought my chance for tor happiness bad had come Then I r heard about her money He stopped topped short wen Well I What Is the use of ot talking about it t Im I'm out of it I am making it my bu business business busi busi- l- l I. I ness nells to keep as afi far far away as possible I J L suppose In time I will wiIl forget torget After Arter all old Father Time me is the best beat friend I 4 we have and when one ones one's s every energy I I is needed to carry through have on such ath an un undertaking Undertaking un- un as we a have on hand there thero is little opportunity to indulge in personal personal personal per per- feelings At night I am so Vear weary I drop into a a. dead sleep as soon as l I 1 touch the bed In daylight there is no chance for thought The two men were sitting upon a pile of lumber in the government railway railway railway rail rail- way construction camp in Alaska In Inthe Inthe Inthe the roadway a mile from shore a yacht pulled at her anchor Nearer a motor boat was rushing through the water toward the landing place As Tom Torn Marshall watched it absently one of the two women in It waved her hand to him He turned inquiringly toward his friend You did not tell me you had any one with you Kate only and one guest Jim Chapman answered flicking the ash from the end of 01 his cigar Kate did not care to come alone and felt herself i fortune when Sarah Norris accepted her hel Invitation Imitation Neither of them knew I you were here It is your chance Dont Don't let any of or your fool notions ruin the situation The girl has a right to happiness So have you She may mayor or ormay ormay I may not care for you but you owe it to her to tell teU her how It stood with you when you left without a word after weeks of constant companionship companion companion- ship You never wrote I 1 presume No o o. o Well we will be here several weeks week's as I 1 have interests that must be looked after Later on we go to Nome and up the Y kort Ask for leave and come with us s. s There are wonderful possibilities possibilities in the intimacy of yacht Ufe he ended with a laugh r Marshall shook his head his face grim You have played me a pretty trick Jim I will wiIl never be known as the husband of a rich woman People shall shaH not say I 1 married her for her money even if she w would uld have me which is doubtful Blast the money and blast such damnable pride What difference does I it make which has It i All AIl the difference in the world to tome tome I me Tom Marshall answered and for fora fora a moment silence rested between them themas I as the they went forward to Join the Jwo WO who were now standing on the beach They picked up their friendship I where it had been dropped the summer Before Defore only Marshall was more silent I than the girl had known him If It she I wondered over It she gave no sign but now as as' then they were together whenever it was possible for him to get away vay from his duties The days slipped by so rapidly he did not realize the length of 01 Jim Chapmans Chapman's stay un until until un- un ti til she told him one evening they would sail the following morning This is our last evening she said to him unless you will come with us Jim says you can get away if you wish vish Yes he replied somewhat heavily but I think it best not to go Will ViII y you u tell me why you feel teel that way sho she asked presently His face hardened with sudden re re- re solve I think you you know Tell TeU me Because of you jou ou i I 1 cannot believe that If It you considered con con- conI I me you would accompany us i It is yourself you are considering In what nhat way She bent forward looking up at himas him himas himas as he stood beside the railing Mr I Mar you Marshall Marshall you are e a man of ot obstinate pride Has it ever occurred to you v. v a H ic is I you may give g a a. I hurt to some one Whom do you mean by some one She hesitated perceptibly then said slowly Myself Do you realize what you are saying saying say say- ing Perfectly I 1 am making a fight for happiness and I 1 do not feel I 1 lose in womanliness s by so doing Her breath I came a lit little le more quickly Why should my money stand between me and that which is every womans woman's right the the right to be loved You make it hard for me he said between his teeth That is what I am trying to do Do you think I 1 do not know what stands between us Do you think I 1 Idid Idid did not know last summer when you left so suddenly without a word of explanation ex explanation explanation ex- ex I waited hoping for a word from you but none came I waa wao then sure You have an Iron Jaw Torr Tom Marshall 1 an iron will an obstinate pride Yet you can be gentle genUe You would not hurt a little child Why then should you hurt a woman hurt hur t I yourself because fate gave her something something something some some- thing more than you possess It Is i inot s not fair He turned a troubled face to her You love me me Yes I came with Jim and Kate be because because because be- be cause I 1 knew you were t you would vi view ow things in a different t light in the open spaces where men do d dwork o I work that counts It would seem thaI that tha t I 1 was mistaken however I He threw back his head as if shifting shifting shifting shift shift- ing a heavy burden Then he took he her r hands an and held them against his lips You will come with us she asked Upon the condition that you will marry me before we Ie leave ove She raised startled eyes ejes to his Then she laughed softly Surely you are a aman aman aman man of 01 contradictions But I think Kate can manage a a. wedding supper I even if it the bride does not appear inthe in inthe inthe the conventional wedding dress I 1 will he ready when you come she said |